Juice Inc. Offers Employers Tips for Avoiding ‘Communication Cancers’
Employee morale and performance depend on leaders’ use of the right medium for specific messages
Ontario, Canada (PRWEB) November 22, 2006
If a hall of shame for corporate communications (http://www. juiceinc. ca/section/view/index. php? section=3&page=29&) existed, the following true stories would be solid contenders for a display case:
At a national sales conference, a CEO unexpectedly and publicly dresses down his corporate sales team for not meeting its sales targets – figures that the CEO had previously devised and given to the sales force without their input.
Employees at a growing start-up firm enjoy an innovative work culture, filled with office friendships. . . but the atmosphere quickly devolves when candid feedback is suppressed in order to preserve friendships. It’s replaced by widespread complaining and discontent, done behind others’ backs.
A CEO sends out a holiday policy change that varies for each employee level of the organization. Senior executives get a specific holiday off with pay, while middle managers can take a day off in lieu; and administrative support will be docked the day's pay. The policy is communicated in a single e-mail sent to all of the organization’s 5,000 employees.
The above examples – combined with high-profile missteps such as Radio Shack’s recent e-mail layoff notices – illustrate how North American companies are suffering from “toxic communication,” say experts at Juice Inc., a consulting firm for leaders who want to boost their organizational energy levels (http://www. juiceinc. ca/section/view/index. php? section=2&page=2&) and employee engagement (http://www. juiceinc. ca/section/view/index. php? section=2&page=2&).
“Toxic communication is an organizational cancer that kills employees’ trust, respect, collaboration, and above all, performance,” explains Brady Wilson, co-founder of Juice and author of the recently released book, JUICE: Release Your Company's Intelligent Energy Through Powerful Conversations (http://www. juiceinc. ca/).
The four most common examples of poor leadership communication include:
Indirect Communication – the use of non-verbal messages, disapproving attitudes, critical humor or public teasing to send a veiled message to someone, instead of having a direct, face-to-face conversation. Character Assassination – is dishonoring someone when they are not there to speak for themselves by assigning malice to their actions, words or motives Public Re-dressing – is uncovering someone’s private issue in a public forum because it’s uncomfortable for you to go face to face with them. e-Stabbing – sending out a scathing email and CC’ing those you wish to ‘leak’ juicy information to. Or, sending an email to request someone’s assistance and CC’ing their supervisor so the person is forced to comply.
Leaders can also drain morale by offering too much or too little communication, by delivering it too late or distorting it, or by using the wrong vehicle to convey the message. In an age of virtual teams and intranets, email is a frequently-misused medium, Wilson adds.
“Being an effective communicator means knowing which medium is best to use for specific messages,” he notes. “Direct feedback is sometimes misinterpreted to have a negative connotation. . . yet a face-to-face conversation conveys the greatest amount of emotion, trust, and understanding.”
Juice recommends four ways to be a “toxin-free” communicator:
1. Use direct communication and avoid sending messages that may leave ambiguity in the mind of the receiver. Practice “XYZ” communication: “When you do X, it makes me feel Y. Could I ask you to do Z instead?”
2. Shut down character assassinations. To avoid becoming a character assassin, use this simple rule: While speaking about someone to others, picture them beside you and only say the things you would say if they were present. If you are a victim of toxic communication, you will have to invest in direct, face-to-face conversations with the person who started the toxic message and those infected.
3. Interrupt public re-dressings. If you are a manager, don’t discipline people in front of their peers unless the issue absolutely must be addressed publicly, in the moment, to avert a greater disaster
4. Go face-to-face with e-Stabbers. Help them understand the implications of using technology as a fault-broadcaster, a power-lever or a rear-covering device. One or two face-to-face conversations with a person like that will provide a healthy disincentive.
The new “JUICE” book offers tips for leaders on the use of “Pull Conversations” to develop a high-performing culture and explains the value of intelligent energy. Copies can be purchased by visiting www. juiceinc. ca or by calling 519-822-5479. An additional resource at the site is the Juice Resource Centre, which offers information on related workshops, speaking engagements, articles and excerpts.
About Juice Inc.
Since 1998, Juice Inc. has been working with organizations to create better business outcomes and improve business performance (http://www. juiceinc. ca/) by releasing Intelligent Energy. Juice Inc. has seen a significant return on investment for the companies it has worked for. Juice’s client list includes Amex, AstraZeneca Canada, Botsford Hospital, CIBC, Deutsche Bank, Kellogg, Canadian Tire Financial Services, Cooper-Standard, Kraft Foods, Linamar Manufacturing, Manulife Financial, NestlePurina, Raytheon, Saint Elizabeth Health Care and UNICEF.
This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www. HRmarketer. com) on behalf of the company listed above.
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